US senators urge Obama to stand tough on Iran

WASHINGTON: A large majority of US senators sent President Barack Obama a wish list Tuesday for a permanent agreement on Iran´s nuclear program, currently under negotiation in Vienna.

Topping the list of "core principles" sought by the 83 senators is their demand that Iran not have the right to enrich uranium -- a position rejected by Iranian officials -- and that the country not continue on its path toward a possible nuclear bomb.

"We believe that Iran has no inherent right to enrichment under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, (and) we believe any agreement must dismantle Iran´s nuclear weapons program and prevent it from ever having a uranium or plutonium path to a nuclear bomb," the Democrat and Republican senators said in a letter to Obama.

"We must signal unequivocally to Iran that rejecting negotiations and continuing its nuclear weapon program will lead to much more dramatic sanctions, including further limitations on Iran´s exports of crude oil and petroleum products.

"The group, led by Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Robert Menendez, also called for shuttering Iran´s heavy-water reactor at Arak and an explanation by Tehran on United Nations Security Council concerns about possible military dimensions of Iran´s nuclear program.

The six world powers including Russia and the United States temporarily put aside their differences over the Ukraine crisis to meet Tuesday in Vienna for a second series of meetings aimed at transforming the interim deal into a lasting accord by July.

Iran signed on to the temporary agreement on January 20 in exchange for sanctions relief from the West.

The US Congress has passed several sets of sanctions on the Islamic republic, and many senators support stalled legislation that tightens economic penalties if Iran violates the interim deal or abandons the negotiations.

"We believe, as you do, that the pressure from economic sanctions brought Iran to the table, and that it must continue until Iran abandons its efforts to build a nuclear weapon," they told the president.

The White House has warned that any new sanctions legislation could sink diplomatic efforts to reach a deal.